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To Aftermarket Exhaust or Not to Aftermarket Exhaust and Why?
I am going back on forth on whether or not I should modify the exhaust on my Touring. I have read many of the exhaust threads and I am pretty confident I know which one I would go with, if I were to do so. I do not track my car and the car is already more capable than my driving capabilities. That being said, I do find the car exhaust a bit tame lower in the RPM range. In fact, I find my 991.1 GTS cab's exhaust is better lower in the rev range (at least some of that is due to the top down driving experience, for sure). Changing the exhaust seems like a pretty straightforward way to improve the car's sound while simultaneously decreasing weight and improving performance. Kind of a no-brainer, really. I am interested to know what percentage of GT car drivers have modified the exhaust and why?
The weight savings of any exhaust by itself will make no difference to the acceleration/handling of your car. Likewise, actual possible horsepower gain will be negligible and, in fact, you might loose a bit of torque. I'm short, it all comes down to subject sound. Will eliminating the side mufflers and retaining the end (final) muffler give you the sound you want at a minimal cost than purchasing an entire new system?
side deltes are the best bang for the buck, although headers really open the car up. its about cost vs performance vs sound. i did side deletes, then full race headers, it was in stages. whatever you do, build a system that gives you a real end game, so you dont waste money and get the results you want.
The weight savings of any exhaust by itself will make no difference to the acceleration/handling of your car. Likewise, actual possible horsepower gain will be negligible and, in fact, you might loose a bit of torque. I'm short, it all comes down to subject sound. Will eliminating the side mufflers and retaining the end (final) muffler give you the sound you want at a minimal cost than purchasing an entire new system?
Yea this is why I'm on the fence. I'm uninterested in just noise but hoped the new engine, in the Speedster, with individual throttle bodies would respond differently to an exhaust unencumbered by the weird fake OPF system. The problem I have is that Andy P and the boys typically engineer these cars very specifically and I just don't what would happen without the new system. Likely negligible gains but then I watch a youtube video of the RSR and then I start thinking maybe noise is important???
The problem with aftermarket exhausts is that they take away the sound of a Porsche engine.
Doesn't mean that they necessarily make the car sound bad (although some certainly do), but just different. Which is not always a good thing, if ever. Especially if you want your car to sound like a Porsche GT car.
On the GT3, I did side deletes. I suggest not to do more on the Touring. In my opinion anything more does not suit the character of the Touring.
Regarding the Speedster, the factory exhaust is perfect for that car. With the top down, one can still carry a conversation and yet the car sounds good. Only gripe is the downshifts are not as audible as the other cars.
And yes, nothing beats the sound of the 991.1 with the sports exhaust. I prefer mine over the others as well.
I did the akra rear muffler delete only. I feel that it it amplifies the stock gt sound and doesn’t change it at all. Definitely 15% louder inside and 30% outside and screams like an f1 car approaching 9k. It actually hurts my ears but feels so good. I can’t imagine how it would sound with a full system. I imagine even better but I’d rather not mess with warranty
Speaking for myself, I'd prefer not to go deaf, not to call attention to myself and not to hear the difference between the Porsche and the porcupine joke more frequently. In short, for either a Touring or a Speedster, I'd leave great cars alone.
Thus far, 70% of respondents have modified the exhaust, most of whom did so to improve the sound and/or the performance, but not very many have done it just for the performance. 20% of respondents (myself included) have not modified the exhaust because we are not sure if it is the right thing to do. Yes, this is a very small sample size, but it is interesting nonetheless. Thanks for the votes and the opinions. Keep 'em coming!
Putting a center delete or otherwise is like putting whipped cream on top of the sundae. Not necessary but tops it off.
Regarding the ideas of not wanting to draw attention to yourself, the stock GT3 setup is no matter what drawing attention by sound compared to 99% of cars on the road. Not putting an aftermarket exhaust is not going to transform the sundae into a basic cookie, so you won't fly under the radar that much more (in spite of the fact that, yes, the GT3 can fit in a bit more in the middle of the cars on the road than an exotic), but driving by people will hear it and know it's not a Corolla.
I have a winged .2 GT3 and changed out my exhaust for a full Akrapovic system upon delivery. Sure, sound was part of the motivation. But mostly I could not stand the thought of keeping the stock exhaust after seeing how massive and overbuilt it is, particularly the side mufflers. Of course, any performance benefits are psychological at best, but the mental satisfaction was worth it to me.
A few things I’ve noticed living with both side deletes and a center bypass:
1. It is very, very loud. I enjoy the sound, both inside and outside the car, but it is almost certainly too much for most. You will get attention, whether you want it or not. At least, it is usually positive. Other drivers on the freeway often pull up to me and give a thumb’s up or roll down their window and ask me to rev the engine. Once I was stopped at a stop light in midtown Manhattan when a police officer walked over to me and gestured to roll down my window. I assumed I was in trouble for something. Instead he said: “I’ve got to hear that thing rev! Can you give it some gas?”
2. When cruising with RPMs under 6,000, conversations with your passenger are perfectly enjoyable. However, I advise against wasting money on any stereo upgrades. You won’t hear any difference.
3. Deleting the valves gets rid of the sudden change in exhaust note at 4,000 RPM, at which point they would normally open as part of the stock system.
4. At least with the Akrapovic system, there is nothing like what I’d call “drone”.
5. You’ll find out how much your significant other really
loves you.
Overall, I have no regrets and am very glad I did the upgrade. Between this exhaust and the BBS magnesiums I had installed, I’d be hard-pressed to say which is more essential.
However I agree with what others have said: a Touring is of a different character than a winged car, to my mind. A super-loud and raw exhaust doesn’t seem appropriate. Maybe instead of deleting both the side and center mufflers, I’d pick one or the other. The Akrapovic system is fully modular, so you can go piece-by-piece to see how far you want to take things. Workmanship and materials exceed OEM, which is important to me when replacing factory parts—but there are certainly better values for money in other systems if this matters less to you.
Has anyone done the Akrapovic slip-on rear muffler? I bought one and for some reason have not installed it as the only thing I can see as an improvement is the weight savings - but a the same time, also debating just swapping the GT3 stainless muffler out for the stock RS titanium muffler as feel it would accomplish the same thing at a fraction of the price
On that note, Ive done side deletes & center deletes - both are too loud IMO for something that youd like keep subtle. However, they definitely open up that engine and bring out the character sound in it if that is one is after.
Has anyone done the Akrapovic slip-on rear muffler?
The Akrapovic center muffler isn't a dramatic difference like a bypass. IMO it's for someone who likes the way their GT sounds, but only wants to turn the dial up a notch or two. The sound will be familiar but more pronounced.
06-11-2020, 09:47 PM
To Aftermarket Exhaust or Not to Aftermarket Exhaust and Why?
